Smith River WMA
SEASONAL -- this WMA is open only May 15 to Nov 30; it is CLOSED the rest of the year to protect big-game winter range. Do not plan a winter or early-spring night here. Smith River Wildlife Management Area, managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, FWP Region 4. FWP's own site record lists a designated primitive campsite here and its fee table shows no camping fee. IMPORTANT -- THIS IS NOT FREE LAND, even though the camping itself costs nothing: Montana requires a Conservation License of every person aged 12 and older to use an FWP wildlife management area FOR ANY REASON, not just to hunt or fish. It is $8/year for residents, $10/year for nonresidents ($4 for resident youth 12-17 and seniors 62+). Buy it before you arrive. There is no separate per-night camping fee. Camping is allowed only in areas FWP has designated or marked for it (ARM 12.12.107), for no more than 7 nights in any 30-day period statewide. Primitive: pack in / pack out, no hookups and no drinking water; no toilet is listed. Quiet hours are 10 p.m.-7 a.m. and certified weed-free feed is required for stock. We have not visited this site. Confirm the current season dates, the travel plan map and whether camping is still allowed with FWP Region 4 at (406)499-2356 before you go.
Everything you need — measured from Smith River WMA · Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks · MT
- FFuel17 mi
- RxPharmacy17 mi
- LLaundry17 mi
- ShShower17 mi
- @Mail17 mi
- GGrocery17 mi
- DDump22 mi
- WWater27 mi
- OOutfitter31 mi
- HHardware32 mi
- MMechanic36 mi
- +Urgent care39 mi
- EVEV fast charger40 mi
The read: water is a real 27-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 17 mi out, the nearest EV fast charger is a 40-mi run (and back).
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Smith River WMA
Nearby & resupply — around Smith River WMA · Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks · MT (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureSmith River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townFort Logan · ~2.6 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelFuel · ~17.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~22.3 mi
- GroceriesMathis Food Farm · ~17.2 mi
- PharmacyCastle Mountain Drug · ~17.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicMountainview Medical Center · ~17.1 mi
EV charging — from Smith River WMA · Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks · MT — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger40.3 mi straight-line W — Helena, MT - Tesla Supercharger (at a grocery store) · Tesla · NACS (Tesla) · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-06-18 · hours: 24 hours daily. NACS partner enabled. · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reachnone within 25 mi · 4 within 50 · 19 within 100 · 37 within 150
- Nearest listing CCS40.8 mi — L146 DC 2, Helena
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO40.8 mi — L146 DC 2, Helena
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)29.1 mi — Silos's Junction - Tesla Destination, Townsend, MT · Tesla Destination · J1772, NACS (Tesla) · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-08-27 · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to all vehicles.
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 163997 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Smith River WMA · Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks · MT — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletCalf Creek Cabin · ~12.6 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletThompson Sta. · ~13.8 mi S · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletGipsy Lake Day Use Area · ~14.8 mi S · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletGipsy Lake Campground · ~15.0 mi S · USFS
Open Smith River WMA elsewhere
Other camps near Smith River WMA
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- East Big Belts Gfa - Benton Gulch Cua~9.7 mi
- East Big Belts Gfa - Atlanta/Mule Cua~10.0 mi
- Benton Rd 287 021~10.2 mi
- Blacktail Rd 4171 007~10.3 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Pickfoot Creek at 6,680 ft, about 11 miles away. It sits about 1,588 ft higher than this camp, so treat it as a guide rather than a reading for this spot. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.
How we know this — Smith River WMA
What we don’t know about Smith River WMA
A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it